Home Window Washing For Beginners

The windows of your home are dirty. In fact, they have more sticky fingerprints and nose prints than you ever thought humanly possible. So, how do you take on the overwhelming task of cleaning them *gulp* by yourself? Check out these window cleaning tips.

Prep:  Painters always say that their job is 90% preparation and the same goes for window cleaning. Start inside: raise all the blinds, move the big furniture out of the way and get all
the knick-knacks off the window ledges. Remove the screens. It depends on your window manufacturer. Some screens come out from the inside; others from the outside. Be gentle. It takes patience, not force, to pop a screen out.

Next, get all your window cleaning equipment ready. Clean out your dusty bucket, rinse out your sponges, synthetic or natural sea sponges – your pick, and put a new rubber squeegee blade on. That actually may be the most important step: a fresh squeegee rubber. The slightest nick will cause a streak on your newly cleaned glass and a ridiculous amount of frustration for you. 

Washing: OK. Take a deep breath; here we go. Wet the window thoroughly with your sponge; really get in the corners and get the gunk out. Now, go over that wet window a second time with a fine grade steel wool (the package says, #0000 super fine). It may not seem like it’s doing anything but it is breaking up all that stuck on goo and stickiness. Again, get in all the corners.

Now, time to squeegee. You can start your squeegee at the top and gently drag it down or you can watch another technique on this video. Be sure to use a lint-free towel to wipe your edges.

One More Thing: If you notice streaks, check the other side of the glass. Sometimes the streak is on the inside and you haven’t cleaned there yet. Also, many streaks and marks can be inside the storm window. You’ll need to take it off to get a good clean; there is just no getting around it (remember that 90% preparation part?). If you have Pella inserts (with or without blinds), they usually do not need to be cleaned in between. However, if you begin to notice a white haze over time, you need to take them apart carefully for cleaning.

That’s it. Pretty easy. The biggest thing you need to remember about home window washing is patience. You are not a pro but the more often you get out and clean your windows, the better you will get.